Sightings

If you missed or couldn't attend the National Book Festival this weekend or hadn't watched it on C-Span2 (Booktv.org), there are sources for author's interviews, a kids and teacher's guide, and author's podcasts. "Gateway to Knowledge" is expected to visit up to 60 sites in states across the Midwest and South over the next year. more »

Even though slightly over half of the US population is female, apart from reproductive concerns, medical research historically has neglected the health needs of women. [The committee] finds that women’s health research has contributed to significant progress in addressing some conditions, while other conditions have seen only moderate progress or even little or no progress over the past 20 years. more »

Medicare and Medicaid will begin using their payment systems to induce quality improvements in the delivery system, for example by reducing hospital payments when a patient suffers from a hospital-acquired infection, and by rewarding doctors and other providers who do a good job of managing patients with complex conditions. more »

Many of the ads feature seniors saying the law will "hurt the quality of our care." But the law specifically forbids cuts in the basic package of Medicare benefits, and even adds some new features, such as wellness checkups. It also closes the "doughnut hole" gap in the prescription drug benefit. more »